HSBC Bank Watercooler Case Study

HSBC BANK CANADA BUILDING SETS BAR FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Burnaby, British Columbia

BACKGROUND

HSBC Bank Canada group has more than 260 offices and is the leading international bank in Canada. HSBC Technology and Service is an integral part of the HSBC group, seamlessly integrating technology platforms and operations to assist in addressing market changes quickly and providing unparalleled business value.

OBJECTIVE

HSBC Group was looking to maintain their exceptional reputation by building a state-of-the-art, environmentally sustainable, global software center in British Columbia. The building would need to be designed to facilitate collaboration and innovation and to preserve the HSBC group’s long-standing commitment to corporate sustainability. HSBC continuously manages the direct environmental impacts of their business operations, including energy reduction, carbon dioxide emissions and sustainable drinking water solutions.

SOLUTION

In April 2011, HSBC Technology and Services officially opened the 146,000 square-foot facility Discovery Green, incorporated within Discovery Place, a 15-building business park in Burnaby, British Columbia. The $47-million project is the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified building in the park and was awarded Platinum certification for shell and core by the US Green Building Council. Included within the five-story building is the evolutionary Brita® Hydration Station® , located in the HSBC gym facility.

RESULTS

Facility Manger, Luc Cronier, was looking to provide easy drinking water access for the 800 members using the gym facility, and after looking at similar products, decided that the Brita®
Hydration Station® was the ideal option. They were interested in the unit because of “the easy installation, it is very nice looking, (and) fits right into the environment it is installed in. With the no-touch feature the unit makes it very easy for people to use without thinking about germs,” states Cronier. The primary features that appealed to the facility staff were the aesthetics and the ease of installation and maintenance. “We installed the unit and it is easy to use. The staff is delighted to have it. Everyone loves it, no complaints!” claimed Cronier. Because one Brita®
Hydration Station® can reduce the consumption of as many as 36,000 standard 16.9-oz bottles each year, the unit provided a small contribution to the LEED rate for the HSBC building.

ABOUT BRITA® HYDRATION STATION®

Brita® Hydration Stations® offer users the benefits of great-tasting, Brita® filtered water at a variety of away-from home locations without the waste and cost of bottled water. The multiple product options transform regular tap water into healthier* drinking water using a certified advanced filtration system. Brita® Hydration Stations® are certified according to NSF/ANSI Standards 42 & 53 for the reduction of chlorine (taste and odor), lead, and 99.99% of cysts.

*Certified to reduce Lead & Cysts. Substances reduced may not be in all users’ water.